Saturday: Anger and Bitterness
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you?
—1 Corinthians 3:16
Reflection:
If Mary had contained some blemish of sin in her, the angel
could not have told her that she was “full of grace.” Mary had
the Spirit of God within her, or else the angel could not have
told her, “The Lord is with you.” This is the same woman who
Jesus gave to us on the Cross. How blessed we are!
Prayer:
If we live with of the merits of Jesus who gives us forgiveness
and mercy, and live a virtuous life and have the benefit of the
grace of God, we will be living examples of the scripture,
“[My Father] will give you another counselor, to be with you
forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for
he dwells with you, and will be in you” (John 14:15–17). Holy
Spirit, come heal us of all anger and bitterness as a result of our
political differences. Amen.

Saturday: Living Sanctuary
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.
—John 1:16
Reflection:
This encounter between Our Lady and her cousin Elizabeth at
the visitation reveals to us Mary’s strong belief in God and her
profound humility: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit
rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of
his handmaiden” (Luke 1:46–48). It is the most superb hymn
of glory to God, Who gave her grace.
Prayer:
Mary is the living sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, where divinity
abounds. Dearest Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us
to be saved from our petty desires and demands, which get in
the way of our living together in peace on this planet. Amen.

Saturday: Believe, Adore,
Hope and Love
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
When [the shepherds] saw this, they made known the message
that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were
amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
—Luke 2:17–18
Reflection:
Christ Jesus came from God because He is God; He came down
from heaven and became a man, yet still retained His divinity.
He shined His light into the shadows of our dark world. He
can still be found in His words, in the Sacraments of the church
and inside of men, women and children across the earth. We
can look into the faces of one another, and see His face, if we
have the eyes to see.
Prayer:
After Jesus was born, the angel appeared to the shepherds,
who then came to Jesus and adored and believed in God. In
like manner, we can say to God, “My God, I believe, I adore,
I hope and I love Thee, and I beg pardon for all those who do
not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.”
Amen.

Saturday: Faithful to God
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was
named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb.
—Luke 2:21
Reflection:
By offering Jesus in the temple, Mary was fulfilling the Old
Law, and yet at the same time, she was fulfilling her role as
Co-Redemptrix of humanity.
Prayer:
Our Blessed Mother gives us a model of obedience to follow
in her compliance to the Old Law. Heart of Jesus, In Whom
the Father Was Well Pleased, inspire me to also follow Mary
by honoring and being faithful to God in His church. Amen.

Saturday: Add Prayers
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of
some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you
see the day drawing near.
—Hebrews 10:25
Reflection:
Joseph, Mary and Jesus provide a wonderful model of Christian
devotion. It mattered not the long distance, nor the lack of
transport to Jerusalem. They were eager to add their prayers
to the prayers of all the other people who had gathered there.
Prayer:
We are so fortunate to have a church to which we can go—a
church that feeds us with the word of God and the Body and
Blood of Christ. Lord Jesus, Our God, lead me to Your church
every Sunday, that I can worship You together with my brothers
and sisters in Christ. Amen.

Friday: Your Will Be Done
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not
provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of
angels? But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which
say that it must come to pass in this way?
—Matthew 26:53–54
Reflection:
Jesus was true God and true man and, on account of His
humanness, He chose to prepare for His passion through intense
prayer—which we know of as His agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane. His Father needed Him to be a sacrificial victim
to atone for human sins. Although it was abhorrent to His
human nature, He chose to sacrifice Himself for us, to make
satisfaction for the sins that we had committed.
Prayer:
Even if my distress is at its highest possible level, it could never
be as extreme as Jesus’s anguish, because He took on the sins
of all humanity in His sacrifice on the Cross. Heavenly Father,
help me to remember to pray Jesus’s prayer to You when I am
suffering and in distress: “Father, if you are willing, take this
cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Luke
22:42). Amen.

Friday: Infinite Value
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
Pilate questioned him, “Are you king of the Jews?” He said
to him in reply, “You say so.” The chief priests accused him
of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, “Have you no
answer? See how many things they accuse you of.” Jesus gave
him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
—Mark 15:2–5
Reflection:
Jesus took on our human nature so that He could sacrifice
Himself at the pillar and on the Cross to make amends for
our sins, and thus accomplish our Redemption. The animals
sacrificed under the Old Law had only been of partial merit.
But Jesus, being wholly divine, as well as wholly human, had
infinite value in His sacrifice.
Prayer:
Jesus predicted what was going to happen to Him and could
have avoided it if He had wanted to. We can see this, because
He spoke of His passion a few times before it happened. Dear
Father, when I am facing a tough situation and doing the right
thing seems difficult, give me Your strength to follow Jesus’s
example and do Your will anyway. Amen.

Friday: Last Drop of Cup
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
All who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
—2 Timothy 3:12
Reflection:
The soldiers ridiculed, scourged, and pierced Jesus with thorns.
And Pontius Pilate, though he thought Jesus was innocent,
submitted Him to all this and also to the ultimate suffering of
the crucifixion.
Prayer:
Even though the soldiers left Jesus in a pathetic state, and
Pilate proclaimed His innocence, the crowd insisted on Jesus’s
crucifixion, and Pilate capitulated. Lord Jesus, Angel of Great
Counsel, if I am ever persecuted by unjust powers-that-be, give
me Your tenacity and poise to endure until I drink every last
drop from the cup. Amen.

Friday: Faith, Hope and Love
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these
is love.
—1 Corinthians 13:13
Reflection:
After Pilate handed Jesus over to carry His Cross, the soldiers
forced Him to trudge down the road to Golgotha. All the
while, in His weakened state, He had to endure the abusive
name-calling of the people who had lined the road to jeer
at Him.
Prayer:
Jesus dragged His Cross for our sake with the infinite faith, hope
and love of His divinity. Father, assist me in following in His
footsteps by giving me some of His faith, hope and love while I
carry my own cross in life, blessing anyone who disparages me
along the way and ignoring their detractions. Amen.

Friday: Heal Hearts
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among
themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the
cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified
with him also kept abusing him.
—Mark 15:31–32
Reflection:
Jesus’s suffering and death were foretold by the prophet Isaiah
who said, “He was like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and
like a sheep that before its shearer is dumb and opened not his
mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Jesus came, partly, to fulfill the scriptures.
Prayer:
Isaiah also foretold that Jesus would come to make reparation
for the sins of the people when he said, “He poured out his soul
to death, bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). And then He forgave those who
had wounded and killed Him, too. Holy Spirit, come into our
land and heal those who have been wounded by people in the
church. Heal their hearts, Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wednesday: New Possibilities
1st Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection of Our Lord
Scripture:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to
a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
—1 Peter 1:3–5
Reflection:
Because of Jesus’s resurrection, divine mercy comes into our
world, and our sins, inadequacies, mistakes and misgivings
do not have the power to remain within our beings, if we so
choose. Because of divine action, the unmanifest world of new
possibilities comes into the manifest world.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, because of the resurrection of Your Son,
divine grace replaces the past with the new possibility of a future
filled with love and fellowship. Strengthen our political leaders
to view one another with new eyes that see beyond political
parties, and encourage dialogue, harmony and reconciliation
with one another. Amen.

Wednesday: Holy and
Beautiful Blemishes
2nd Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Our Lord
Scripture:
May your kindness, Lord, be upon us;/ we have put our hope
in you.
—Psalm 33:22
Reflection:
When Jesus rose into heaven through His ascension, He took
with Him the wounds from His torture on the Cross as holy and
beautiful blemishes, which symbolized the fact that kindness
and charity had won out over vengeful justice.
Prayer:
Divine mercy frees society from its blind addiction to instinctive
greed and opens up the potential for positive contributions to
one another. Heart of Jesus, Abode of Justice and Love, inspire
the wealthy of the world to freely give of their surplus treasure
to people and organizations who desperately need it. Amen.

Wednesday: Holy Spirit
Transforms Us
3rd Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the
Holy Spirit on Our Lady and the Apostles
Scripture:
[Peter said,] “God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the
holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both]
see and hear.”
—Acts 2:32–33
Reflection:
Divine love and benevolence flow down from the Heavenly
Father, through Jesus, and then connects us to the Divine
Person of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
The Holy Spirit approaches us and transforms us, and in so
doing, makes us more merciful ourselves. Dear Jesus, send Your
Spirit to all the peoples of the Earth, to make us kinder and
more merciful, one to another, and turn us from destruction
and war to make our planet a place of peace. Amen.

Wednesday: Caress Us
4th Glorious Mystery: The Assumption
of Our Blessed Mother
Scripture:
And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with
incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with
immortality, then the word that is written shall come about:
“Death is swallowed up in victory./ Where, O death, is your
victory?/ Where, O death, is your sting?”
—1 Corinthians 15:54–55
Reflection:
The hands of the Blessed Mother nestled Jesus as a Babe and
embraced Him tenderly after He died. These same hands will
also caress us someday, in heaven. We can hope for that – and
immortal life in paradise—with those who love us dearly.
Prayer:
Our Blessed Mother is in heaven awaiting us, which is a favor
provided for us by the Heavenly Father. Dearest Jesus, Lover of
Chastity, please make our Earth more merciful by abolishing
abortion. Amen.

Wednesday: Comfort and Console
5th Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of Our
Blessed Mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Scripture:
His mercy is from age to age/ to those who fear him./ He has
shown might with his arm,/ dispersed the arrogant of mind and
heart./ He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones/ but
lifted up the lowly.
—Luke 1:50–52
Reflection:
In her Queenly function as Co-Mediatrix of Graces, Our
Blessed Mother dispenses the divine mercy that comes from
Jesus to those of us who are wholly undeserving of it, but who
are hopefully thankful for it.
Prayer:
We lowly humans so often feel remorse and anxiety, but we
can be sure that Our Blessed Mother and Queen is always
there to comfort and console us. Dear Blessed Mother, Queen
of all Saints, please pray for all those who are struggling with
addiction of any kind, that they may be released from their
struggle. Amen.

Tuesday: God’s Gentleness is Grace
1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Scripture:
His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked,
“Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” And one of them struck
the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said
in reply, “Stop, no more of this!” Then he touched the servant’s
ear and healed him.
—Luke 22:49–51
Reflection:
When we suffer cruelty, our best recourse is to throw ourselves
into God’s arms and into His benevolence. His gentleness is
grace.
Prayer:
Guardian Angel, let me know if there is anyone in my
environment who is suffering, so that I may comfort them for
a little while, and help them endure it. Amen.

Tuesday: Refuse to Whip
2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar
Scripture:
For [Pilate] knew that it was out of envy that they had handed
him over. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent
him a message, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man.
I suffered much in a dream today because of him.”
—Matthew 27:18–19
Reflection:
Jesus endured a scourging, which was a vicious punishment
that was invented by those who enjoyed inflicting harm upon
others.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, Eternal Wisdom, for all the times that I refuse
to whip others with my tongue, please use it for the sake of
peace on earth. Amen.

Tuesday: Teach Through Silence
3rd Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning With Thorns
Scripture:
Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am
bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no
guilt in him.”
—John 19:4
Reflection:
It sometimes takes some wee little suffering on our part – such
as to bear a little disrespect – in order to teach others who
are ignorant of God’s laws. In our silence, we can sometimes
instruct more than words could ever do. For example, the
centurion and guards who were keeping watch over Jesus said,
“Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54) after He
bore His passion with such silent suffering.
Prayer:
“King of the Jews” was the ironic truism that Pontius Pilate
had inscribed above Jesus’s head on the Cross. Jesus, You are the
legitimate King of Heaven and Earth! Inspire in me how I can
help to bring others to You. Amen.

Tuesday: Yoke Me to Jesus
4th Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross
Scripture:
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and
humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
—Matthew 11:29
Reflection:
Jesus’s fervor while carrying His Cross seems to be almost a
crime; why would He adore it so much? It seems that no matter
what His torturers did to Him, He still yearned to complete
His mission.
Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, You went to Your death for the benefit of sinners.
Enlighten those who despise Your Cross as mere folly. Yo k e
me to Yourself as I carry my cross to the finish line. Amen.

Tuesday: Divine Mercy
5th Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion
Scripture:
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three
days, save yourself by coming down from the cross.”
—Mark 15:28–30
Reflection:
Everything that Jesus did on the Cross, such as absolving His
executioners, promising heaven to the “good thief” and giving
His mother to us as our mother, reveals a divine mercy inside of
Him that is hard for mortal men to fathom. Jesus quotes Psalm
22, which at its end praises God and declares that all the ends of
the earth will turn to Him – even while He is in the throes of
His most agonizing passion. There was never a truer devotion;
nor, a more divine mercy!
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, out of Your pierced side came the Blood and
Water of Your divine tenderness. Pour out Your goodwill over
everyone who thinks only of themselves, their occupations and
their daily lives, so that they may be converted, repent, receive
Your Holy Spirit and come to faith in You. Amen.

Monday: Quantum Leap
1st Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation
Scripture:
In the lifetime of those kings the God of heaven will set up
a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to
another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
—Daniel 2:44
Reflection:
When the angel came to Mary, it was like a quantum leap
forward in human evolution, inserted into a previously grim
world experience. The angel announced a new Kingdom that
would never end. Human evil has been transformed little by
little ever since, into human virtue.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, no matter what I may have done that was sinful in
my past, help me to come to Your forgiveness with repentance,
but also with determination and assurance, and bestow upon
me Your compassion, which endures forever. Amen.

Monday: Merciful
2nd Joyful Mystery: The Visitation
Scripture:
Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.
—Luke 6:36
Reflection:
Mercy lives in Mary and in her Divine Babe, which we can see
reflected in her merciful action at the visitation of Elizabeth.
Mary’s charity was a divine connection between God and the
human race.
Prayer:
Heart of Jesus, Fountain of Life and Holiness, thank You for
Your forgiveness. Please give me Your love, to become more
merciful toward others and myself. Amen.

Monday: Visit the Imprisoned
3rd Joyful Mystery: The Nativity
Scripture:
Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you who
are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. For I was… in prison and
you visited me.”
—Matthew 25:34–36
Reflection:
For humanity, which was caged in its sin, Jesus’s birth was
one of the labors of mercy that He talked about in Matthew
25: visiting the imprisoned. We were imprisoned in our sins
before Jesus came. With God incarnate visiting us, we came
to experience His love and forgiveness in a way that we could
never have fathomed, had He not come down to meet us in
the flesh.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, without You I can do nothing. Break me out of
the jail of sin and death, and give me the grace to follow You.
Amen.

Monday: See You in Me
4th Joyful Mystery: The Presentation in the Temple
Scripture:
As to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will
be clean for you.
—Luke 11:41
Reflection:
Just as Jesus’s parents presented Him to the temple in an act of
mercy, we participate in this hallowed action by offering our
acts of mercy to the underprivileged and destitute. Just as we
have received Jesus, we should give back to Him—in the faces
of the poor.
Prayer:
Lord, Our Lover, give me the ability to present every charity
that I give to others as a representation of Yourself. Let them
see only You in me. Amen.

Monday: Comfort of His Presence
5th Joyful Mystery: The Finding of
the Child Jesus in the Temple
Scripture:
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work
or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the
field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
—Matthew 6:28–30
Reflection:
As St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary anxiously searched
for Jesus, they were afflicted with the loss of His comforting
presence.
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, as I seek Jesus every day, remind me to reach
out to others in kindness, who may be afflicted and seeking
Him too (whether they realize it or not). Amen.